Lainey Wilson had a big night at the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards, which took place on Thursday, May 8 in Frisco, Texas. Not only did she walk away with multiple trophies, she also got to celebrate it all with her fiancé, Devlin “Duck” Hodges, by her side.
The couple turned heads on the red carpet as they stepped out in sleek matching black attires. The former NFL player kept it simple with a black suit, white button-down and no tie, but added a bit of flare with his shiny belt buckle and black Stetson. Meanwhile, Wilson sported an elevated version of her signature bell bottoms that included a black lace jacket with floral appliqués, cutouts around her waist and a train that flowed along the carpet.
@countrynow.com Ain’t no where I’d rather be than at the @ACM Awards with @Lainey Wilson and her fiancé Devlin “Duck” Hodges❤️#acmawards #laineywilson ♬ 4x4xU – Lainey Wilson
First ACM Red Carpet As An Engaged Couple
She and Duck made their first red carpet together during the 2023 ACM Awards, shortly after fans began speculating about their relationship. The real buzz started when Wilson wore a Pittsburgh Steelers jersey on stage—matching the number Hodges wore during his time as quarterback in 2019. That moment became a sweet nod to their romance, which she confirmed not long after.
“Yeah, we’ve been together four years but I made him wait for two until I introduced him to the public,” Wilson joked in a backstage interview with Country Now.
Last night’s appearance signaled another significant moment in the lovebirds’ journey as it marked their red carpet debut as an engaged couple.
Lainey Wilson went into the coveted evening with seven nominations under her belt, and one early win for Artist-Songwriter of the Year, which she earned just one day prior to the show. She’s was vying for a win in the categories of Female Artist of the Year, Album of the Year (Whirlwind), Song of the Year (“4x4xU”), Visual Media of the Year (“4x4xU”), and the night’s highest honor, Entertainer of the Year.
Wins For Female Vocalist And Album Of The Year
By the end of the evening, the “4x4xU” singer had racked up four awards and made some ACM history along the way. She started off by winning Female Artist of the Year for the third year in a row, making her the first artist to achieve that feat since Miranda Lambert won nine years in a row from 2010-18.
“I just want to say to every single one of these girls in this category, I couldn’t do this without y’all. I couldn’t. This is a wild ride and it’s nice to be able to have people to call and relate to, and I’m so proud of every single one of y’all, y’all are whooping butt. The girls are kicking down some barn doors and I like it,” Wilson said in her acceptance speech, celebrating her fellow nominees – Kelsea Ballerini, Ella Langley, Megan Moroney and Kacey Musgraves.
Her name was then called for Album of the Year with her fan-favorite project, Whirlwind. She previously took home the award for her album Bell Bottom Country. As a result, she is now the seventh artist in ACM history to win the category for two consecutive studio albums and is one of only three female solo artists to earn the title more than once, joining Miranda Lambert and Kacey Musgraves.
Lainey Wilson Named ACM Entertainer Of The Year
To cap it all off, Lainey Wilson took home Entertainer of the Year for the second year in a row. She’s the first artist to score back-to-back awards in that category since Jason Aldean’s three-year streak from 2016-18. Additionally, she’s the first female to do so since Taylor Swift achieved consecutive Entertainer of the Year titles in 2009 and 2010.
After giving a shoutout to her fellow nominees in the category – Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Jelly Roll, Chris Stapleton, and Morgan Wallen, the Louisiana native got real with the audience.
“I will tell you this, I’m sure everybody deals with a little bit of imposter syndrome, but I won’t lie to you, I have a little bit. I read something not long ago that just said, ‘if something is given to you, then you need to accept it with an open heart and open mind.’ And I just appreciate it. I really do have the best fans in the world,” she shared humbly.
The songstress then took a moment to reflect on how she got to this point, starting in her childhood when her dreams of entertaining truly began.
“I was thinking about it earlier this morning. I was just trying to wrap my head around today and I remember my parents had this old hunting spotlight that we used to take off the charger all the time. And my sister would turn all the lights off in the house and she would shine the spotlight on me as I was running back and forth across the living room. And I dreamed about entertaining. I love making people feel things. I love making people laugh and smile and cry. I’m sorry. I like to make you cry because I love to feel things. Everybody loves to feel things.”
In conclusion, Wilson shared, “Country music has given me more than I deserve. And I appreciate everybody in this room. My heart is so full. Thank you so much. God bless every single one of y’all. I don’t even know what else to say.”
Unforgettable Performances
In between claiming her wins, Wilson took the stage multiple times, first to perform solo with the title track to her award-winning album, “Whirlwind.” Later in the night she reappeared alongside fellow country queens Reba McEntire and Miranda Lambert for an unforgettable delivery of their new single, “Trailblazer.”
With show-stopping performances, four new trophies in hand, and her biggest supporter by her side, Lainey Wilson’s night at the 60th ACM Awards was one for the books.
2025 ACM Awards
The milestone award show was hosted by 16-time ACM Award-winning entertainment icon Reba McEntire from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, the world headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys.
Throughout the evening, viewers watched a slew of star-studded performances by Alan Jackson, Blake Shelton, Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, Brothers Osborne, Kelsea Ballerini and Megan Moroney.
Additionally, the show delivered an unforgettable series of collaborations and milestone moments. Wynonna Judd led a powerful 12-minute medley celebrating ACM Songs of the Year from the past six decades, joined by Reba McEntire, Clint Black, Sugarland, Dan + Shay, and LeAnn Rimes. Meanwhile The Backstreet Boys joined forces with Rascal Flatts, Jelly Roll teamed up with Shaboozey and Brooks & Dunn stole the show alongside Cody Johnson.
New Artist of the Year winners Ella Langley and Zach Top also took the stage for standout performances, while Keith Urban was honored with the prestigious ACM Triple Crown Award, with special tributes from Chris Stapleton, Brothers Osborne, and Megan Moroney.
Gabby Barrett, Clint Black, Jordan Davis, Gretchen Wilson, Carly Pearce, Riley Green, Lee Ann Womack, Martina McBride, Sugarland, Little Big Town, Crystal Gayle, ERNEST, Sara Evans, Parker McCollum, The Oak Ridge Boys, and Lionel Richie were among the night’s many presenters.
The 60th ACM Awards streamed live exclusively for a global audience across 240+ countries and territories on Prime Video and the Amazon Music channel on Twitch on Thursday, May 8, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT.
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